Anthony Stephen Adams (born 11 December 1940) is a Welsh actor of English and Norwegian descent, known for his performances in two British television soap operas.[1]
Tony Adams | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 December 1940 Anglesey, Wales |
| Alma mater | Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts |
| Occupation | Actor |
Early life
editAdams was born on 11 December 1940 in Anglesey, Wales, to Winifred Brown, a sportswoman and aviator. In 1930, she had been the first woman to win the King's Cup Air Race around England.[2][3]
Adams trained as an actor at the Italia Conti Stage School.[4] As a child he appeared on the London stage, notably alongside the young Kenneth Williams in a production of Peter Pan at the Scala Theatre.[4] Other stage appearances included a starring role opposite Cheryl Kennedy in a West End revival of The Boy Friend, and he also appeared on the original cast album released with this production.[5] He also appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and in pantomime with David Essex.[6]
Career
editAdams made his name as Dr Neville Bywaters in the 1970s soap General Hospital. He also appeared in the Doctor Who serial The Green Death (1973) as Elgin. However, he became ill with peritonitis during filming, and some of his lines were given to another character.[citation needed]
In November 1978 he moved on to a role in Crossroads, as accountant Adam Chance, who soon became a major character.[7] It is for this role that he is best known. In September 1987, Adams decided to leave the programme. The announcement was made that the series would end in April 1988, and Adams stayed to the end. He was one of the cast members who returned in the 2001 revival of the series, though his character was later killed off in a fire.[8] He also appeared in a one-off DVD made in 2014.[9]
In late 2004, Adams appeared in the stage version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium theatre where he played Grandpa Potts.
In 2023, Adams appeared in a cameo role in the ITVX miniseries Nolly, which dramatised the life of his former Crossroads colleague Noele Gordon, and in which Adams himself was portrayed by Augustus Prew.[10][11]
Personal life
editIn 2013, aged 72, Adams began suffering from osteoarthritis, which he speculated might have resulted from eating an excess of seafood, especially prawns.[12]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | The Magic Box | Boy | Uncredited |
| 1953 | The Enchanted Garret | Bill Banks | TV film |
| 1955 | Reluctant Bride | ||
| Touch and Go | Teenager | Uncredited | |
| 1964 | Kiss Me Kate | TV film | |
| 1971 | A Lizard in a Woman's Skin | Policeman | Uncredited |
| Villain | Man | Uncredited | |
| 1975 | The Godmothers | Vito | |
| 1977 | The Quality Connections | Nigel | Short film |
| 1980 | Hardly Working | Eddie the Clown | |
| 1986 | Superfantagenio | Monty Siracusa |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Crossroads | Mr. Perkins | 2 episodes |
| 1972 | The Two Ronnies | Brutus | Episode: Series 2, Episode 5 |
| Crown Court | Brian Parker | Episode: Conspiracy: Part Three | |
| 1972-79 | General Hospital | Dr. Neville Bywaters | Series regular; 304 episodes |
| 1973 | Doctor Who | Elgin | Episodes: The Green Death |
| Play of the Week | Prince Damian | Episode: Queen of Hearts | |
| 1978-2002 | Crossroads | Adam Chance | Series regular; 260 episodes |
| 1986 | Hale and Pace | Prince Charming | Episode: Christmas Extravaganza |
| 1989 | Bergerac | M.C. | Episode: Tangos in the Night |
| 1992 | The Upper Hand | Donald Crenshaw | Episode: You Shall Go to the Ball |
| 2001 | The Grimleys | Doctor | Episode: The Big Sleep |
| 2003 | The Afternoon Play | Agency Supremo | Episode: Turkish Delight |
| 2006 | Doctors | Edgar Price | Episode: Ghost in the Machine |
References
edit- ^ Richard Webber (22 February 2014). "Crossroads star Tony Adams: 'I've been threatened with a knife'". Daily Express. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- ^ "The life and times of pioneer Winifred Brown from Sale brought to life in new book". Great British Life. 5 June 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- ^ "Winifred Brown First Woman to Take Trophy for 750-Mile Contest Over England". The New York Times. 6 July 1930. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Ask: Tony Adams". Chronicle Live. 30 March 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- ^ "The Boy Friend (feat. Cheryl Kennedy, Tony Adams, Marion Grimaldi, Frances Barlow, Nicholas Bennett, Jeremy Hawk, Ann Beach, Geoffrey Hibbert & Jacqueline Clarke)". iTunes Store. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- ^ David Essex (1 March 2012). Over the Moon: My Autobiography. Ebury Publishing. pp. 93–. ISBN 978-0-7535-4082-4.
- ^ "Crossroads cast back to Birmingham". BBC News. 23 March 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
- ^ "Characters in Crossroads". Evening Times. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "Birmingham soap Crossroads is coming back – for one episode". Birmingham Mail. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- ^ "Crossroads stars reunite for emotional cameos in Nolly finale". Radio Times. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
- ^ "Nolly cast: Meet the actors and their real-life counterparts". Radio Times. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
- ^ Tony Adams (13 November 2014). "Excruciating pain meant I needed a new knee joint but did seafood create the problem?". Mirror. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
External links
edit- Tony Adams at IMDb